1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to medical devices, and more particularly to a self-injection guide tablet that provides a guide, template or grid applied directly to a body area for rotating subcutaneous injections for individuals who must administer such injections.
2. Description of the Related Art
Persons afflicted with diabetes and other medical conditions may receive a subcutaneous injection of medicine daily, or at some other regular interval. A subcutaneous injection, also sometimes called a “sub Q injection”, is a “shot” of medicine injected into a layer between skin and muscle. Subcutaneous injections are a relatively convenient way to deliver medication that would otherwise be absorbed too slowly or be made ineffective if taken by mouth. Examples of such medicines include insulin injections for people with diabetes, epinephrine injections for people with severe allergic reactions, and administration of low molecular weight heparin (e.g., Lovenox).
It is known that only certain parts of the human body may be safely used for such self-injections without excessive discomfort or an inordinate risk of penetrating major veins or arteries. Generally, the body parts used for self-injections are on thighs, the fleshy area of the upper hips, the fleshy area of the backs of each arm, and portions of the lower abdomen. Each of these body parts has an area known as an injection area, in which a plurality subcutaneous injections may be made. However, it is also known that such injection irritates the body tissue and adjacent muscle at the point of self-injection. In fact, it may take up to two months for the skin and muscle in the injection area to heal. If another injection is made less than 5.08 centimeters, or less than two inches, to the previous injection before it is healed, a hard spot or knot will develop in the area of the injection as a result of the additional injection.
It has been found that it is difficult for the self-injection user to determine which body areas have recently received an injection because the wounds caused by the injections visibly heal quickly at the surface of the skin. Also, it is difficult to tell which body injection area has been used recently until after the second injection, because a knot develops. As a result, it is not unusual for the self-injector to make double injections and have several painful knots at any one time. Thus, a self-injection guide tablet solving the aforementioned problems is desired.